Robert Pattinson ‘tests POSITIVE for COVID-19 forcing The Batman to halt filming’

Robert Pattinson has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, forcing filming on The Batman to be halted.

Sources told Vanity Fair that the actor, 34, has contracted the deadly virus just days after production resumed on the big-budget film. 

It comes after MailOnline revealed that filming of the new Batman film has been halted after a crew member tested positive for Covid-19. 

Sources on the £100million blockbuster set said the cast and crew had been sent home after one of the team was struck by the virus.

Now filming of the movie starring Robert Pattinson at the Warner Bros studio in Hertfordshire has ground to a halt, according to a source.

An insider at the studio in Leavesden said: ‘We have been sent a memo telling us that a member of the crew has had a positive Covid-19 test.

‘Everyone was talking on the set about it. We do not know who has tested positive, but it has caused chaos to the schedule.’ 

Filming of the new movie called ‘The Batman’ had only resumed three days ago after being shut down in early March due to the pandemic.

Production crews had gathered at the studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, in August to work on sets after most had been placed on furlough.

The shutdown will cost Warner Bros hundreds of thousands of pounds and possibly even delay the release of the movie which is said to be a grittier take on the Marvel comic book hero.

When production was halted in March, Robert, 34, had to stay in the UK along with other cast members.

Others who live in Los Angeles have returned but had to stay in quarantine for two weeks before turning up on the set in accordance with Government guidance.

Director Matt Reeves still has three months of filming to complete with the eagerly anticipated film due to be released to theatres in October 2021.

Filming at Leavesden, where the Harry Potter movies were made, is taking place under the working title of ‘Vengeance’.

The crew member said: ‘Everyone was looking forward to getting back to work and its come as a blow that production has stopped just three days after we began filming.

‘We have all been told to stand down until further notice and we are not expecting to be back filming for at least two weeks.’

The source said many of the crew found it ironic that the Batman movie had been stopped by coronavirus as the killer virus is thought to have originated from bats.

‘There is a irony to all this in that you would think Batman would be immune seeing as it all started from bats,’ said the insider.

Robert, best known for his roles in the Twilight saga movies, took on the role of the caped crusader last year after Ben Affleck, who had been developing the ninth film featuring Batman, dropped out.

Irish star Colin Farrell plays The Penguin and his prosthetic make-up was so realistic that other castmates didn’t recognise the actor when he turned up on set.

Jeffrey Wright, who plays Commissioner Gordon said on The Jess Cagle Show: ‘I’ve worked with that makeup artist before and it’s just incredible. 

‘Colin walked on to set one day and I walked right passed him [laughs] I was like, “OK, hey dude what’s happening, where’s Colin? Are we going to shoot?” It was, it’s pretty remarkable.’

The transformation was revealed in a teaser trailer released last week by director Reeves at a fan event in the US.

The new film sees Batman pitted against his usual enemies with Paul Dano playing The Riddler.

Zoe Kravitz stars as Catwoman and John Turturro portrays crime boss Carmine Falcone.

A spokesman for Warner Bros studios has been contacted for comment.